AQUATIC PEODUCl^ IN ARTS AND INDUSTRIES. 249 



Captain Coffin, a British wlialing mastei-, stated before a committee 

 of the House of Commons in 1791 that — 



He had lately brought home 362 ounces, troy, of this valuable substance. He 

 had taken this from the anus of a female spenn whale captured off the coast of 

 Guinea, and which he stated was very bony and sickly. At the time he brought 

 this quantity to England the ambergris was selling for 25s. an ounce, but he 

 stated that he sold his for 19.s'. 6(1. per ounce to a broker, who exported it to Tur- 

 key, Germany, and France, among the natives of which it appears to have been 

 long celebrated for its aphrodisiacal properties." 



The schooner Watchman, of Nantucket, is credited witli bringing 

 home from the Bahama Islands, in 1858, the largest mass ever found, 

 weigliing nearl}* 600 pounds. This was on the market for manj^ 

 months, as the owners were unwilling to divide it and dealers were 

 adverse to taking the whole lot, but finally it was sold for §10,500. 



The bark Sea Fox, of New Bedford, in 1866, secured a .30-barrel 

 sperm whale off the eastern coast of Arabia. A long-handled cutting 

 spade was thrust into the region of the anus and a piece of ambergris 

 fell out. Some of the men proceeded to cut open the large intestine, 

 which was about 10 feet long and 3| inches in diameter, and for the 

 entire length it was literally filled and closely packed with ambergris. 

 They cleand out the stomach and found two large pieces weighing, 

 respectively, 40 and 41 pounds. The ambergris in the large intestine, 

 to all appearance, was originally comjaosed of globular pieces, which, 

 owing to pressure from all sides, were compressed into irregular shapes. 

 The two large pieces found in the stomach were of a different shape 

 from those found in the intestine. They measured about 36 inches in 

 circumference, were flat on both sides, about 8 inches in thickness, 

 and of a superior quality. The entire mass weighed 150 pounds and 

 was sold to the Arabs of Zanzibar for $10,000 in gold. 



During the year 1878 the bark Minnesota, in the same localitj^ found 

 18 i30unds of ambergris in a whale, which was sold in Zanzilxir to the 

 agents of the Sultan for §150 per ijound. 



The bark Adeline Gibhs in 1878 brought in the most valuable lot of 

 ambergris obtained by an Ainerican vessel up to that time. It was 

 taken from a 50-barrel bull sperm whale south of St. Helena, weighed 

 132f pounds, and was sold for $23,231. This piece was the onlj' one 

 that a fleet of 12 vessels had taken in 45 years. About the same time 

 the Bartholomew Gosnold secured 125 pounds in the vicinity of Xew 

 Holland, which sold for about $20,000, and the Lettitia brought in 100 

 pounds, worth $17,500. 



In 1882, the bark Falcon, in latitude 16° 55' S. and longitude 11° 00' 

 W., secured a 28-barrel male sperm whale, which was aj^ijarentl}' in 

 healthy condition and without unusual ai^pearance. A spade was 

 accidently thrust into the abdomen, revealing the presence of amber- 

 gris in the viscera. A large piece of an ovate form, weighing about 



'I Beal(- on the Sperm Whale, p. ISa. 



